USCIS has announced the launch of a revised Form I-129S, “Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition”, that will reportedly make it more difficult for employers to transfer employees on L visas. As of August 29, 2016 the revised form will require more specific details of prior employment such as dates and salary received, as well as requiring the employer to illustrate a detailed breakdown identifying exactly how much time the beneficiary will spend on specific tasks and job duties on a daily basis in the proposed position. These editions to the form not only make the application process lengthier and more tedious for the beneficiary and employer, but may also make it more difficult to receive approval after the fact.

This revised form must be included in applications filed with USCIS after August 29 and applicants for Blanket L-I petition classification and U.S. embassies and consulates must present the new form at their interviews if scheduled after the said date. Those who already have a Blanket L petition in hand using the current form must be sure to apply for the visa prior to August 29, or they will have to update their presentation with the new form. Furthermore, those in the process of preparing their blanket petitions or scheduling their interviews will have to do so before the said date in order to avoid having to revisit the application process to properly update the paperwork in accordance to the revised form.

It is recommended that applicants with appointments for August 29 or later, check that the edition date listed on the bottom left-hand corner of their Form I-129S is marked as “6/2/2016”, as this will ensure that they have the correctly updated documents. For access to the form and more information on how to submit it, visit USCIS’s website.